Although we can't ensure our elderly parent's safety, anymore than we can ensure anyone's, we can do a number of things to make them as safe as we possibly can.

My Dad is eighty-nine and still lives in his own home. My sister and I do what we can, but we have to respect his independence and not treat him as a child. However, in one instance he did become a victim of a scam and we didn't see that coming at all. He received a check in the mail and a letter stating that he'd won a contest. The check was for six-thousand dollars! He took it to the bank and they accepted it. So, he went to the car dealership and bought a new(used) car. About ten days later he learned that his checking account had been drained! For some reason there was a loop-hole in the fine print when he signed the 'winner's agreement' that actually allowed these criminals to take the money from his bank account! Because it was less than ten-thousand dollars, he couldn't get anyone in law enforcement or any prosecutors to even look into the case! So, warn your elderly parent (or anyone else you know) not to cash a 'so-called' contest check without having the bank check it out before signing it. Even then I'd be suspect as his bank did accept it.

Call them at least once a day, preferably at the same time. They may complain, but tell them it will help your peace of mind and they'll be more accepting of the idea. Our elderly neighbor and her sister call each other each morning and each night at bedtime just to say "Good morning" and "Good night" and make sure everything is OK.

The alarm pendants that call help are also a good idea. A friend of ours is ninety and still lives in the house she grew up in. She refused any help or to move to an assisted living apartment. One night she slipped and broke her hip. She lay there for nearly ten hours. Luckily, her granddaughter called her and when she didn't get a response she called the local police. Margaret recovered and is again living in her home, but she always wears her Life Alert' pendant.

It's a good idea to check their medications from time to time. My Mom was on about six different medications and I don't think she even knew what some of them were for after a while. I wrote down the names and dosages and took them to my pharmacist and asked him about them. It turned out that she was on two different blood pressure medications and was only supposed to take one. Her doctor changed her medications, but Mom didn't throw

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